Shaping Our Community

The Shape of Our Community is Spruce Grove’s new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) which is currently under development. This plan helps us make decisions for our community in the short, medium, and long terms, aligning with our goals for the future. All Alberta municipalities are required to adopt an MDP bylaw in accordance with the Municipal Government Act.

In our last newsletter, we discussed the community’s key values, drivers, and preferences derived from the Shaping Our Community engagement process. Since then, we’ve continued to engage with people on the project holding meetings with the Technical Advisory Committee, the Community Panel, and with Council, as well as hosting a public open house event on October 18, 2023.

We continue to work behind the scenes:

• reviewing, drafting, and refining policies;
• writing sections of the MDP document; and
• developing the figures, images, and mapping to support the plan.

A preliminary draft MDP document is expected to be ready April 2024.

If you have questions about the project, please email MDP@sprucegrove.org.

As we wrap up another remarkable year, the MDP Project Team would like to wish you all the best during the holiday season and extend our heartfelt seasons greetings to each and every one of you.

Warmest regards,

The MDP Project Team

The Shaping Our Community process will result in The Shape of Our Community document, Spruce Grove’s new Municipal Development Plan (MDP). An MDP is a policy document providing guidance for decision-making in the short-, medium- and long-terms consistent with the desired future outcomes for our community. All Alberta municipalities are required to adopt an MDP bylaw in accordance with the Municipal Government Act.

During the first round of engagement in October of 2022 Spruce Grove residents identified four key values: Connection, Diversity & Inclusion, Resilience, and Well-Being. During the second round of engagement this Spring, six drivers and their preferences were identified: Economy, Governance & Partnerships, Transportation & Mobility, Urban Form & Placemaking, Environment, and Social.

Since hearing from the Community during the two phases of engagement, policy direction statements were developed from the values, drivers and preferences, which Council endorsed in early August of this year.

The policy direction statements will be used as a guide to write the MDP. The below video shows the August presentation to Council, explaining the details of the values, drivers, preferences, and the policy direction statements that have been created.

Watch the video to learn more about what the MDP is and where we are at with creating The Shape of Our Community. If you have any questions or comments that you would like to share with the project team, please email us at MDP@sprucegrove.org or attend our upcoming in-person drop-in session!

Public Information Drop-In Session

The information session will be held on October 18, 2023 at the Pioneer Centre (301 Jespersen Avenue) from 4-7 p.m.

On August 21, 2023 the current status of the Municipal Development Plan was presented to Council for an update of the progress that has been made and for approval of the Policy Direction Statements Matrix

The work-to-date sets the framework for the development of policies that will form the bulk of the final Municipal Development Plan and guide decision making for the future growth and development of the Community.

During the first round of engagement, four key values were identified: Connection, Diversity & Inclusion, Resilience, and Well-Being.

During the second round of engagement, six drivers and preferences were identified: Economy, Governance & Partnerships, Transportation & Mobility, Urban Form &Placemaking, Environment, and Social.

We will be sharing more information with the public in the coming weeks.

Here is the current timeline of the project:

This is the What We Heard Report from our second phase of engagement. This phase also involved Youth engagement and this is the What We Heard-Youth Report.

Help us create the city we want to be, that builds on what we have and develops and grows in the future. Imagine the possibilities of what Spruce Grove can be 10 years, 20 years or even 30 years from now!

Please take our quick online survey between April 26 - May 11 to identify your preferences and guide our long-range plans, together.

This is the second phase of public engagement - Options & Preferences.

This survey is now closed.

This is the What We Heard Report from our first phase of engagement.

We want to know:

• What do you love about Spruce Grove?
• What is your dream for Spruce Grove?

Tell us online or in-person

Online:

• Complete the survey before October 28. (Please note: the survey is now closed)

In-person:

• Oct. 6, 6–7 p.m. - TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, 221 Jennifer Heil Way
• Oct. 14, 1:30–4 p.m. - Westland Market Mall, 70 McLeod Avenue
• Oct. 11, 5–6 p.m. – Agrena, 9 Agrena Road
• Oct. 12, 5:30–6:30 p.m. - Cpl Jim Galloway Memorial Off Leash Park, 51 Century Close (weather permitting)
• Oct. 17, 2:30–3:30 p.m. - TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, 221 Jennifer Heil Way
• Oct. 18, 5:30–6:30 p.m. - Cpl Jim Galloway Memorial Off Leash Park, 51 Century Close (weather permitting)
• Oct. 19, 6–10 a.m. – various Spruce Grove Commuter Transit busses
• Oct. 20, 5–6 p.m. – Agrena, 9 Agrena Road
• You might also spot City Ambassadors in Spruce Grove parks, playgrounds and trails (weather permitting) from October 5–20

On September 26, 2022,an update was provided to Council for the Shaping Our Community plan.

The Council agenda - Municipal Development Plan Update.

The video presentation to Council.

The PowerPoint presentation.